View
215
Download
2
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI
ROCKSTAR&HIPPIE
‘IguessI’marockchickatheart.’
ReferredtobyjournalistHilaryAlexanderasthe‘JanisJoplinof
fashion’,AnnaSuihasalwaysgroundedhercollectionswithapassion
forrockandroll.Fromherearlyaimofdesigningclothesforrockstars
toherenduringfriendshipwithAnitaPallenberg–longoneofSui’s
muses–thedesignercontinuallydrawstheaestheticoftherocklifestyle
intohercollections.WhencreatinghercollectionsSuialwaysquestions
whethertheywouldlookgoodonKeithRichardsandAnita.
Thetextures,coloursandpatternsoftheera,asseeninboutiqueslike
GrannyTakesaTrip,inLondon,runthroughSui’sdesignsandexist
alongsideotherinspirationsandthemes.Itisherabilitytoweavethese
elementstogethertomakesomethingcompletelycontemporarybuttrue
toherrockandrollsensibilitiesthatisoneofherhallmarks.
DavyCrockettEnsemble(Toprow)
Autumn1992
WoolherringboneJacketandwoolUnionSuitbyJames
CovielloforAnnaSuiwithsuedecowhideBraandChaps
Cowhidebelt,brass/glass/featherchokerandfeather/glass/cowhide
lariatbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;Bag,fakefurcapby
JamesCovielloforAnnaSui;suedecowhideclogsbyJohn
FluevogforAnnaSui
Sui’sAutumn1992collectionlookedtotwo1960s’icons:Jean
ShrimptonandPenelopeTree.Bothofthesemodelshadbeenthe
loversofDavidBailey,whosephotoswereasourceofinspirationfor
thedesigner.Forthefinaleofhercatwalkshow,Suimergedthe
sensibilitiesofthese1960s’modelswiththecontrastingcharactersof
the‘Cavalier’andthe‘DavyCrockettCowboy’(reflectedinthis
ensemble).ThelinkingfeatureistheirswaggerepitomisedbybothTree
andShrimptonandthenreplicatedonthecatwalkintheswaggerof
NaomiCampbellandLindaEvangelista,theirmodern-dayequivalents.
KozmikEnsemble(Middlerowleft)
Spring2015
SilkgeorgetteDressandsilkjacquardShorts
EnamelledbrassnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;elastic/plasticbelt,cowhidefannypackandbootsby
BallinforAnnaSui
Suinamedthiscollection‘KosmikRockStar’.Inspiredbythe1960s
andchannellingherfashionheroesKeithRichardsandAnita
Pallenberg,Sui’sSpring2015collectionreferencediconic‘Swinging
London’boutiquessuchasGrannyTakesaTripandMrFreedom.The
designeralsotookinspirationfromthepsychedelicpostersandworkof
graphicscollectiveHapshashandtheColouredCoat,akaMichael
EnglishandNigelWaymouth.Toaccentuatetheglitzandglamour,Sui
accessorisedherclotheswithmetalliclightningboltplatformshoes
designedbyfootwearlegend,TerrydeHavilland.Thiscollection
seemedtoreflectmanyofSui’sparticularpassions:‘AnnaSui’slatest
collectionfeltliketheoneshewasdestinedtodesign.Itstitched
together–literally–agrabbagofherobsessions.’(TimBlanks,Vogue,
14September2014)
EmbroideredJacketEnsemble(Middlerowright)
Spring2014
EmbroideredlinenJacketandsilkShirtwithrayon/silkTrousers
ScarfbyJamesCovielloforAnnaSui;sneakersbyEmmaHope
forAnnaSui
AnnaSuiisanavidvisitorofmuseumswheresheoftenfindsinspiration
forherdesigns.ItwashervisittotheTate’sPre-Raphaeliteretrospective
thatprovidedthecreativespringboardforherSpring2014collection,
whichwasinspiredbythe1960s’Pre-Raphaeliterevival.‘Ingame-
changingboutiqueslikeGrannyTakesaTrip,London’sgildedyouth
boughtintothelanguorandluxuryofthePre-Raphaelitelegend.’(Tim
Blanks,Vogue,11September2009).Suireflectedherinspirationin
herprints,choiceoffabricsandintricatedetailasseenhereinthe
velvetandfineembroidery.Althoughthedetailisintricateandthe
fabricssumptuous,theoutfitexudesalaid-backcoolinitsfluidlines
anditscasualaccessoriessuchasthesneakersandnarrowtrailing
scarf.
BacklessChapsEnsemble(Bottomrowleft)
Autumn1992
WooljerseyCapeandsilk/polyesterShirtwithstuddedsuede
cowhideChaps
Glass/brasschokerbyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;studded
suedecowhidebelt,G-string,suedecowhidebootsbyJohnFluevog
ThisoutfitisfamousforthebacklesschapsthatNaomiCampbellwore
withsuchswaggerforthefinaleofAnnaSui’sAutumn1992catwalk
showcounterbalancingLindaEvangelistasportinga‘Cavalier’look
completewithacurlingfeatheradorningherhat.Thestuddedfringed
chapswerelaterwornbymusicianMarilynMansonatanaward
ceremony.IthasoftenbeensaidthatbeingatoneofSui’sshowsislike
beingatarockconcertandherpassionformusic,andmore
importantlythestyleitinspires,alwaysinformsherdesigns:’Foralong
time,mygoalwastodesignforrockstarsandpeoplewhowentto
rockconcerts.’
‘IquicklyrealisedthepeopleIknewas
hippiesdidn’twanttodoanything,
thatgoingtoliveonacommune
wasn’tgoingtotakethemanywhere.
Nicestylethough.’
MaleHippie(Bottomrowcentre-left)
Spring2014
EmbroideredlinenwithMongolianfakefurtrimCoatwithSilkchiffon
ShirtandrayonsilkvelvetTrousers
RayonpannevelvetsneakersbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
Thisoutfitisinspiredbythe1960s’rediscoveryofthePre-Raphaelites
asreflectedinboutiquessuchasGrannyTakesaTripandchannelled
intheromanticclothing,psychedelicpostersandtheinteriorsfavoured
bytherockpersonalitiesoftheday.SuilovedthefactthatJimmyPage
ofLedZeppelinfame,forexample,hadaccumulatedamajor
collectionofEdwardBurne-Jones(1833–98)tapestriesandWilliam
Morris(1834–96)furniture.Thisoutfitcombinesfabricsandtextures
thatexudearichnessandbohemianismcharacterisinga‘richhippy’
lookthatSuirevisitsfrequently.Asshesaysherself,‘I’masuckerfor
pannévelvet.’Butwhiletheoutfitemploysluxuriousdetailing,the
sneakersaddanoteofinformalityeventhoughtheytooaremadeof
pannevelvet.
Pop-sydelicEnsemble(Bottomrowcentre-right)
Autumn2016
MohairJacketandSilkShirtwithrayon/silkdevorévelvetTrousers
Beadedandembroideredbelt,brass/glassnecklacebyErickson
BeamonforAnnaSui;nylonhosebyAtsugiforAnnaSui;
suede/patentcowhideshoesbyBallinforAnnaSui
‘Suisentforthgorgeousjewel-tonedvelvets–seeminglybythebolt–
baby-dolldresses,tie-dyesanddeliciouslytrippyjacquards.’(Kristin
Anderson,Vogue,17February2016)
AnnaSuicoinedtheterm‘Pop-sydelic’tonameherAutumn2016
collection,whichmixeselementsofCarnabyStreetatitszenithwiththe
workofartistssuchasPeterBlakeandtheelectricambianceoftheart
dealerRobertFraser’sinfluentialgallery.Suithenaddedsome
EdwardiannotesofthesortlovedbyboutiquebrandssuchasGranny
TakesaTripandMrFish.Thisoutfitisanintensemixofprintand
texturelayeredSui-stylewithrichlydetailedaccessories.
Pop-sydelicRockStar(Bottomrowright)
Autumn2016
FakefurpolyesterCoatandRayonShirtwithRayon/silkvelvet
Trousers
Scarf;rayonpannevelvetsneakersbyEmmaHopeforAnnaSui
PartofSui’sattractiontoGrannyTakesaTripwasthefactthatthe
RollingStonesusedtoshopthereandKeithRichardswasastylehero
ofhers:‘IusedtosaythatIjudgedmyclothesbyhowgoodthey’d
lookonKeithRichardsandAnitaPallenberg.’Thisoutfitepitomisesa
‘groovy’rockandrolllookcombiningprintandtexturetocreatea
jewel-likeintensity.ThepannevelvetsneakersdesignedbyEmma
HopeforAnnaSuiseemtoencapsulatethecontradictory
combinationoflaid-backrockerchicand‘hautehippy’.
FringeEnsemble(OnAnnaSuimannequin)
Spring2016
SilkTopandTrousers
Brass/plasticnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylon
socksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;rayonsatincoveredcowhidesandals
byHushPuppiesforAnnaSui
Sui’sSpring2016collectionencompassedadiverserangeof
influences,someofthemverypersonal.Aswellasthecultural
referencestotheartistPaulGauguin(1848–1903)andthepopular
film,MutinyontheBounty(1962),Suialsoinfusedhercollectionwith
personalmemoriesofherauntwhosefamilywasbasedinPolynesia
andwhooncesenthermotheradressembroideredwithsmall
seashells.Thismemoryinspiredseveraldressesinthecollection.
ZandraRhodes,whohadalsobeentoTahitiandrecordedthevisitin
hersketchbook,designedapalmleafandseashellprintforSui,while
BarbaraHulanikiofBibafameprovidedillustrationsforT-shirts.The
colourpalette,too,wasadirectresultofSui’srecentPolynesiantrip
reflectingthecoloursoftheexoticlandscapeinnamessuchas‘teal
lagoon,hibiscusred,andpineappleyellow’.Addedtothisheady
tropicalcocktailwasanodtothenostalgiaandkitschofthe1940s’
and1950s’‘sarong’moviesandthe‘tikibar’.Thisresultedinaplayful
aswellascolourfulcollection:‘today’sHonoluluhoneysembodiedall
thebestpartsofkitsch:itscolour,itshumour,itsplay.’(Kristin
Anderson,Vogue,16September2015).
Theintensebluesofthisoutfit,whichcombinesamixofprints,reflect
thetropicalseaandevoketheblueofHenriMatisse’s(1869–1954)
cut-outs.Thehalterneckandelectricbluefringingreflecttheideaofa
sarong-styledressandthepairingwithloosetrouserscreatesan
elegantensemble.Theconfluenceofdifferentinspirationsforthis
collectionunderlinesSui’sinnateabilitytocombinereferencesfrom
bothhighandlowculture.Theplayfulnoteofthecollection,however,
reflectsthefactthatSui,despitehererudition,nevertakesherselftoo
seriously.
Pre-RaphaeliteDress(OnAnnaSuimannequin)
Spring2014
SilkchiffonDress
Glass/plasticnecklacebyEricksonBeamonforAnnaSui;nylon
socksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;brassstuddedcowhidesandalsby
BallinforAnnaSui
Thisdiaphanousprintedchiffondresswithmetallicfringinglookslike
theperfectoutfittoweartoafestival,accessorisedwithsparklingsocks
andstuddedcowhidesandals.Sui,alwaysdrawntotheworldof
music,grewuphearingaboutWoodstockandalwayslovedtheidea
ofgoingtoafestival:‘Ilovedthewholefantasyoffestivals:goingto
seemusic,sleepingunderthestars,arrivingattheIsleofWightina
helicoptertoseeJimiHendrix.Thereality?Notsomuch.’Thecolour
paletteoftheSpring2014collectionwasinspiredbytheiridescent
coloursofthePre-RaphaelitepaintingsthatSuisawatanexhibitionat
theTateGallery,andhershowfeaturedherowncastofPre-Raphaelite
heroinesfloatingdownthecatwalk.Thisoutfitexudesanetherealaura
whilethemetallicfringingaddssomerockandrollswaggerand
movement.
KimonoEnsemble(OnAnnaSuimannequin)
Spring2016
SilkKimonoandDress
Brass/plasticnecklaceandbraceletbyEricksonBeamonfor
AnnaSui;NylonsocksbyAtsugiforAnnaSui;Cotton-covered
cowhidesandalsbyHushPuppiesforAnnaSui
ThepalmleafprintofthisdresswasdesignedbyZandraRhodeswho,
likeSui,hasvisitedTahiti.Theprintofthekimonoisapatchwork
pattern,aSuifavourite.Thefringededgeofthekimonosuitsthe
tropicalthemeofthiscollectionasitseemstoevoketheswayingfronds
ofatropicalpalmtree.Sui,whocreatesspectacularfashionshows,
includediridescentpalmtreesonherSpring2016catwalk.
TheWorldofAnnaSuiisa
FashionandTextileMuseumexhibition
Image©JoshuaJordon
THEW
ORLD
OFA
NN
AS
UI
Recommended